He attended the School of Art in St Gall, studying drawing and painting.
[1] In 1904 he moved to Belfast to take up a position as a damask designer with linen manufacturers McCrum, Watson and Mercer Ltd.[2][3] Iten shared a studio at 20 Rosemary Street.
He exhibited with the Royal Hibernian Academy from 1908 until his death, over 50 pieces in total.
[5] His work is held in a number of collections, including the Ulster Museum, the Hugh Lane Gallery, and Queen's University Belfast.
[2] The Arts Council of Northern Ireland mounted a retrospective exhibition of his work in 1971 with 1445 attendees.